Coarse winter coat

[Bedlam]

Hi,

One of my ponies who we've only had since the early summer is growing her winter coat now, but it is incredibly coarse, almost wiry. I've never known this on any horse or pony before - do you think it's a sign of anything wrong? She's gray, 4yrs old, has a few sarcoids which we are leaving alone as they're not causing any problems. She's fed Soya oil in her feed and Showblend herb mix as well which is supposed to imrpove coat and skin quality.

Any ideas? Is it just how she is?

 

[kellyeaton]

Maybe the first sign of cushings diease?x

 

[Bedlam]

At 4?

 

[JoBo]

My cobs coat has come though very coarse this year (it’s all been fully clipped off now), I think he is just trying to tell me something, it’s going to be a very cold winter!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

What breed is she Bedlam? It could be a perfectly normal coat for her. Do you have the previous owner's contact details? They might be able to put your mind to rest.

 

[jo2601]

Please dont leave the scarcoids alone - they will not go away and always, always should be seen by a vet and treated.

 

[Bedlam]

She's an ISH - sire was a Connemara.

It may well be completely normal for her, but it's almost as if she has no undercoat?

I don't get on with the previous owner - they took us for a ride over the summer - it's a long story and doesn't really matter, but it means I'm not going to get in touch with them to ask how her coat was last year.

 

[Bedlam]

Don't worry - I have had them looked at by the vet, and she is due to look at them again in December to see how they have changed and may well recommend treating them then.

I wanted to zap them immediately, but it is on vet's advice that they have been left for the time being. When we 1st noticed them we didn't actually own her - and the owner refused to accept that they were anything more than warts without a biopsy. Biopsies only seem to make things worse, so we didn't go down that route.

I will also ask the vet about her coat texture in December, but she's well in herself and I can see no other sign of any illness, and there has been no change in her performance, temperament etc....so can see no reason to call vet out yet. Unless of course somebody can tell me that a coarse coat on its own is definitely indicative of anything?

 

[The_snoopster]

I have an irish cob who always puts her winter woolies on early although its not coarse just really long. It gets so long by end of october it actually flaps in the wind first winter i had her i worried about cushings but spring came and i had a white carpet everytime i groomed it might just be what she is like mine.